Page 180 - Politics
No former PMs to be in Parliament this Budget session
As Manmohan Singh's nearly 30-year-long tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended on Friday and HD Deve Gowda lost from Tumkur seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, no former Prime Minister will be present in the forthcoming Budget session of the Parliament.Parliament's first Budget session after the constitution of the new government at Centre is scheduled to start on June 17.Deve Gowda, who served as the 11th Prime Minister of India from June 1996 to April 1997, lost to BJP's GS Basavaraj from Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency by little over 13,000 votes.Earlier, Deve Gowda used to regularly contest from Hassan parliamentary constituency. However, he had vacated his seat to field his grandson Prajwal Revanna from there.Soon after the Lok Sabha results were announced on May 23, Revanna, who defeated BJP's A Manju from Hassan by a margin of 1.41 lakh votes, offered to resign from the seat to get his grandfather re-elected."To reinstate the confidence of JD(S) cadre, we have to ...
Delhi: Doctors at AIIMS issues 48-hour ultimatum to WB government; threatens indefinite strike
The resident doctors of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to accept the demands of the agitating junior medicos failing which they will be going on an indefinite strike.''We issue an ultimatum of 48 hours to West Bengal government to meet the demands of the striking doctors there, failing which we would be forced to resort to an indefinite strike,'' the Resident Doctors Association told ANI.This warning of going on indefinite strike from the RDA of AIIMS came just hours after the West Bengal Chief Minister invited the agitated junior doctors to meet her again on Saturday to discuss the issue.Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday had called for a nationwide strike on June 17. The organisation is demanding safe working conditions for medical practitioners. The organisation also launched a three-day pan-India protest, beginning Friday to express solidarity with ..
PSP will form government in UP in 2022: Shivapal Singh Yadav
Shivapal Singh Yadav, younger brother of Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Friday claimed his party Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) will form the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2022."We have decided to contest the 2022 Assembly elections. Our party will form the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2022," he said during a press conference at the party office here.Putting to rest the speculation of a merger of his party with SP, he said: "Rumours are that there will be a merger but this (revelation) should put an end to all that."Shivpal also said that the election symbol of his party will remain that of a key.He further said the PSP needs to be strengthened so that in 2022, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) forms a government on its own.In 2016, Akhilesh had shown the door to his uncle Shivpal, who later formed his own party -- PSP. The family feud had become a hot topic of discussion among villagers at Saifai, a village in the Etawah district and Mainpuri ...
Trump rejects firing Conway over violating law
US President Donald Trump has rejected firing his aide Kellyanne Conway for several violations of a law banning high government officials from using their positions to influence elections.
Focusing on strengthening Congress in UP: Jyotiraditya Scindia
Congress general secretary in-charge of western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said that senior party leaders are focusing on strengthening the grand old party after the humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha elections in the state."Our focus is on strengthening Congress, its workers, giving an opportunity to good candidates and prepare for the Assembly elections," Scindia said here.He also said that the Congress would go solo in the 2022 UP Assembly elections.Scindia and eastern Uttar Pradesh in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been conducting review meeting in the state after the party suffered a major setback in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls in the state. Several senior Congress leaders including party President Rahul Gandhi and UP unit chief Raj Babbar could not win the elections.UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was the sole Congress leader who could register a victory in the elections.The party had also put a poor show across the country with its seat rally standing .
Saudi-led coalition attacks Houthi's air defence system
The Saudi-led coalition attacked Houthi air-defence system in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Saturday morning.The coalition has announced earlier that it is planning to attack specific targets in Sanaa, Sputnik reported.This comes two days after Houthis rebels targeted Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia with drones, killing 26.Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been leading an Arab military coalition against the Houthis in support of Yemen's internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi over the last four years.The Yemeni rebels have seized control of much of the northern parts of the war-ravaged country, including capital Sanaa, in September 2014, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Riyadh.
BJP did not return to power through polarisation: Ram Madhav
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said that his party did not return to power with a massive mandate using polarisation or appeasement, but through uniting people of India."BJP did not come back to power with routine political play. We did not come back by dividing people in the name of caste and religion, polarisation or appeasement. In fact, we returned to power by demolishing all these and uniting people of India," Ram Madhav said at an event here on Friday.Taking a dig at some opposition parties, the BJP leader said that dynasty used to be a merit in politics some years back which has demolished to an extent.He said, "In this country, dynastic identity was considered to be a huge qualification for politics. There is nothing wrong in it, but people should come forward through their efficiency and not only their surname."Earlier, he had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will break the Congress' record of ruling the country for the longest period and the BJP will remain in power .
Modi reaches India after attending SCO meet
After concluding his two-day visit to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reached India.During his visit, he held successful bilaterals with China, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan, apart from addressing the SCO Summit in Bishkek.Despite Pakistan's request, Modi did not hold any formal meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.However, Modi exchanged "usual pleasantries" with his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan in the Leaders' Lounge at the SCO Summit.Beside this, the Prime Minister also held a pull-aside meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus on the sidelines of the SCO Summit on Friday, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.He coined the acronym HEALTH during his address at the Summit, which is a template for strengthening cooperation amongst SCO member-states.Expanding on the acronym, he said that the 'H' in HEALTH stands for Healthcare Cooperation, .
Trump administration suspends trade complaint against China
The Trump administration has suspended a complaint it had made against China to the World Trade Organization, a shift that might signal a slight opening in the administration's trade war with Beijing. The WTO says it's granted a request to suspend work until December on the administration's complaint that Beijing has failed to safeguard the intellectual property of US companies operating in China a major issue in the trade war. The Geneva-based WTO weighs disputes between its members, and if a country prevails, it can impose tariffs on imports from the other. President Donald Trump has already imposed tariffs on many Chinese goods. The WTO's announcement did not say why the administration had made the request, and the US trade representative's office didn't respond to a request for comment.
US unhappy about UN counterterror envoy's Xinjiang visit
The United States on Friday lodged a protest with the United Nations over what it called a "highly inappropriate" visit by its counterterrorism czar to China's restive Xinjiang region, saying it could serve to legitimize Beijing's crackdown on Muslim minorities. The world body said Thursday that Vladimir Voronkov, the under-secretary general for counterterrorism, was on a visit to China. UN sources said that trip included a stop in Xinjiang. Chinese authorities have placed an estimated one million people, mostly ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, in internment camps, which Beijing downplays as "vocational education centers" needed to combat extremism. US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan called UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday to express his "deep concerns," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. "Such a visit is highly inappropriate in view of the unprecedented repression campaign underway in Xinjiang against Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, ..
Maharashtra CM discusses proposed Cabinet expansion with Uddhav Thackeray
Amid speculations that BJP could offer deputy Chief Minister post to ally Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Friday met Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the proposed state cabinet expansion in detail."I met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray ji at Matoshree here today and had a long discussion on the cabinet expansion," Fadanvis said in a tweet in Marathi.The Cabinet expansion is proposed at a time when speculations are rife on an alleged rift between the Shiv Sena and BJP over portfolio allocation and Chief Minister post in Maharashtra.Earlier, the BJP said that the expansion would help fulfill the expectations of the Shiv Sena and other NDA allies.Minister for Finance and Planning in the Maharashtra government Sudhir Mungantiwar had on Tuesday said that cabinet expansion will be done before the assembly session which begins on Monday."Devendra Fadnavis has decided that Maharashtra Cabinet expansion will be done before the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Session, soon .
Telangana cabinet expansion likely after June 19
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to expand his dozen-member Cabinet after June 19.There is a total of six berths that are lying vacant in Rao's council of ministers, which could be filled after Telangana Rashtra Samiti state executive meeting on June 19. KCR is widely expected to induct more members in his Cabinet so that a full-time finance minister could present the budget in the state Assembly on July 5.Rao's son K T Ramarao and nephew T Harish Rao are expected to be inducted in the Cabinet and may secure key ministerial positions.Including the Chief Minister, there is a total of 12 ministers in Telangana Cabinet which will meet on June 18.After winning the Assembly elections in 2018, chief minister Rao took an oath just with his loyalist Mahamood Ali, keeping the size of the state cabinet at a paltry two. He inducted 10 more ministers in February after drawing a fair share of criticism over the cabinet size.On Friday, Rao met the Governor of Maharashtra CH ...
New York state lawmakers pass new protections for renters
Lawmakers in New York state on Friday passed a bill aimed at protecting lower-income families from skyrocketing rents -- a move seen as a victory for tenants amid a crippling lack of affordable housing. The vote -- the culmination of a years-long battle between powerful real estate owners and housing rights advocates -- became possible after the November elections, which left Democrats in full control of the state legislature. "Tenants have pounded on Albany's door for decades for the protections they deserve. We've stood with them, fought for them tooth-and-nail, and now the wait is finally over," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said after compromise legislation was reached this week. The text -- which Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed into law -- eliminates rules that allowed building owners to increase the rent when an apartment changed hands. It also will prevent new tenants from being charged for extensive renovations via increased rents, and help keep owners from ...
Chandrababu Naidu frisked at Vijayawada airport
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and now leader of opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu had to undergo frisking at Gannavaram Airport here late Friday.
Iran denies US' allegation after attacks on Gulf tankers
Iran on Friday denounced the allegations by the United States that Tehran was responsible for the attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the US jumped to the allegations "without circumstantial evident"."The US had immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence," Al Jazeera quoted Zarif as saying.On Thursday two oil tankers-- Marshall Islands-flagged Front Altair and the Panama-flagged Kokuka Courageous-- were attacked in the Gulf of Oman, raising tensions in the region.This comes a month after four tankers including two of Saudi Arabia were attacked. Saudi Arabia had said that some "state actor" was involved in the attack on May 12.Blaming Iran for the attack, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "The attack on two oil tankers on June 13 was one in a list of Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks over the last month. It was a clear threat to peace, security and freedom
Priyanka Gandhi to meet workers 2-days a week to strengthen Congress
New Delhi (India), June 15 (ANI): With an aim to strengthen the Congress in view of the 2022 UP Assembly elections, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has decided to meet ground-level workers from eastern Uttar Pradesh two days a week in New Delhi.Priyanka, who is in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, will be interacting with ordinary Congress party workers between 10 am to 1 pm every Tuesday and Thursday. The party workers could meet Priyanka without any formal appointment.She will also visit the state in order to connect with the grassroots-level workers and a blueprint of the visit is being worked upon.It is expected that Priyanka will try to get a sense of Congress' organisational conditions on the ground and figure out where the party lacks in the state.According to a source in the party, two such meetings have already taken place.On Thursday, Priyanka accompanied her mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to her maiden visit to Raebareli after winning in the Lok Sabha .
China, Russia reject calls for freeze on UN pullout from Sudan
China and Russia on Friday rejected calls from European and African countries to freeze the planned shutdown of a peacekeeping mission to Sudan's Darfur region. Britain, France, Germany and the African countries on the Security Council told the group that the decision on closing the joint UN-African Union mission should be put on hold while Sudan is engulfed in crisis. The council is scheduled to vote on the mandate of the mission, known as UNAMID, on June 27. "The situation has evolved, the situation is not the same in the center, and we cannot proceed as if nothing has happened," said South Africa's Ambassador Jerry Matjila. Russia and China however said the drawdown must continue as planned with a view to end operations in 2020. "The Sudanese government has the capacity to maintain peace and security in Darfur on its own," said China's Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao. China, Sudan's major trading partner, has long supported Khartoum's view that the conflict in Darfur was winding down ..
Parliament to miss former PM Manmohan Singh as his decades-long RS term ends
New Delhi (India), June 15 (ANI): Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also a renowned economist, will be missed in the upcoming Budget session of the Parliament as his nearly 30-year-long tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended on Friday.Singh, who is credited with keeping India away from the great recession of 2008, would not be present in the Rajya Sabha for the first time since his first election from Assam in 1991 as he could not make up to the Parliament' upper House due to Congress' poor strength in the state Assembly.Congress could not get him re-elected from Assam as it has only 25 MLAs as against 43 first-preference votes needed. The grand old party would have fallen short of five MLAs had it even got the support of 13 legislators of All India United Democratic Front.The party even cannot send Singh from other states where Rajya Sabha seats are vacant. With the election of BJP's Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and AGP's Birender Prasad Baishya's unopposed election from Assam, a total of .
Modi, Imran exchanged pleasantries at SCO meet: Pak FM
Though there was no "structured meeting", Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan exchanged pleasantries during the second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, said Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday.While talking to Independent, a UK-based news channel, he, however, refused to answer whether Modi had approached Khan or vice versa."There was no scheduled structured meeting between two leaders. On the second day of the SCO, but they met, shook hands. They also exchanged pleasantries," he said.When asked whether Khan had approached Modi, he said: "It isn't necessary who approached whom".Again pushing for restarting the bilateral talks, the Pak FM said, "I have always said only talks can solve pending contentious issues between Indian and Pakistan".This comes as Modi made a veiled attack on Pakistan while addressing the plenary session here on Friday, stating that countries which support and finance terrorism must
Trump thanks Abe for efforts to ease US-Iran tensions
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Iran and bilateral trade.